DIVORCE GRANTED

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 285, 22 February 1928, Page 16

DIVORCE GRANTED

BROWN’S BAY AFFAIR VERDICT FOR PETITIONER A verdict that Dickens and Aileen Nyberg had been guilty ot misconduct and that Mrs. Dickens and Briggs had not been guilty ot misconduct, was returned by the jury sitting in the protracted divorce case concluded in the Supreme Court yesterday afternoon before Mr. Justice Reed. The petitioner, Inez Dickens (Mr. Northcroft) was granted a decree nisi against Leonard Maynard Dickens (Mr. Dickson) and respondent’s crosspetition citing Leonard Briggs and Tony Sorich as co-respondents was dismissed with costs, and the respondent was ordered to pay costs on the petition on the higher scale. Allegations and counter-allegations were the feature of the hearing, and several different stories were told. The trouble concerned a period of several months at Brown’s Bay, where, it was said, the respondent drove his wife from the house and installed Miss Nyberg. Denials of misconduct were forthcoming from Briggs and Sorich, the latter being dismissed from the case by his Honour, who held that there was no evidence against him. Miss Nyberg also strenuously denied misconduct. In summing up his Honour was of the opinion that the whole trouble, so far as Brown’s Bay was concerned, seemed to have been that Dickens -would not give up Miss Nyberg. In divorce proceedings there was a lot of perjury, and it was difficult to know which side to believe. In granting the decree, his Honour gave Mrs. Dickens the, custody of the one child of the marriage, the respondent to have reasonable access.